Paul Ryan selected as running mate for Romney

Mitt Romney has taken a rare political gamble in an attempt to change the direction of the US presidential campaign, unveiling Paul Ryan, a radically conservative young congressman, as his running mate.

The Republican challenger for the White House announced Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the 42-year-old author of the party’s drastic plan to slash public spending, as his prospective vice president.

Appearing together at a rally in Norfolk, Virginia, the pair attacked Barack Obama’s “record of failure” and claimed that they were “America’s comeback team”.

Standing in front of USS Wisconsin, a Second World War battleship, Mr Romney hailed Mr Ryan as “an intellectual leader of the Republican Party”, adding: “He appeals to the better angels of our nature”.

“He understands the fiscal challenges facing America: our exploding deficits and crushing debt, and the fiscal catastrophe that awaits us if we don’t change course,” he told 2,000 cheering supporters.

Amid a sea of flags and placards on the dock, Mr Ryan warned the US was “running out of time” to fix its economy and said: “It is our duty to save the American dream for our children and theirs”.

Yes, Ryan comes off as nerdier than Romney, but he doesn’t come off as much more human. They seem like two slightly different variants of the classic gladhanding candidate for high-school student-body president. Both would be on the debate team, but the Romney model would also be on the football team, whereas the Ryan model would compete in interscholastic math tournaments. Most kids at my high school didn’t especially like either type. They only voted for one of them because there was no alternative.

The US desperately needs a candidate like Ryan who seems to understand the catastrophic consequences of Obamas spending spree if America doesn’t change course. Hopefully for Americas sake enough people there get it.

2ndAmendment

Not just Osama bin Kenya’s spending spree!

With any luck, we’re back to before Herbert Hoover!

JC

Ryan is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, so he’ll get plenty of NRA support. He’s also the most articulate Repub we’ve seen on the ticket for two decades.

JC

http://www.whaleoil.co.nz Whaleoil

shame he isn’t the candidate, but then again he will get his chance when Romney loses.

Gazzaw

You’re not kidding WO. The Romney-shambles just keeps trucking on. Was his introduction of Ryan as the ‘next President of the USA’ a realisation that he has surpassed his plateau of competence? Fuck WO even you as a hardened Republican must despair at times of the losers that the GOP puts up as presidential candidates.

onelaw4all

Would you apply the same reasoning to Obama who did EXACTLY THE SAME THING when introducing Biden as his VP pick?

Gazzaw

At the end of the day JC the VP candidacy counts for fuck all.

2ndAmendment

This is completely fucking brilliant. I don’t know what I’ll enjoy more:
* the shock as Romney + Ryan romp home
* repealing the entire New Deal
* setting up the Roberts court for the next 40 years
* or watching liberals starving in the gutter.

OK. Actually that’s quite easy: #4.

And what’s even better- if that’s possible – is that the remaining European Communist countries – including NZ will now also have to end welfare once it goes in this US

Great for them. Great for us. Great all round.

As one Liberal put it: With Ryan on the ticket, when Romney wins, because then it will be very difficult to argue that the nation didnâ€™t make a meaningful choice.

Bunswalla

Didn’t realise New Zealand was a European Communist country, but reading the rest of your post it all makes sense now. Clearly, you’re mental.

2ndAmendment

I can’t help it that your state-education rendered you ignorant.

Of course NZ is Eurocommunist, 60% of the economy is dictated by the state, with massive state domination of education, health, welfare, transport, and energy – coupled with a “democratic” polity that ensures only communist can be elected.

but that doesn’t change the fact that like in Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland, France … there’s no more money for welfare or “state’ schools, “state” houses, “state” hospitals, “state” GP visit or all the rest.

Rodger T

Of course it won`t only be liberals that will be starving in the gutter it will also be the republican voters that Romneys policies put out of their jobs and lose their medical insurances .
Mitts unadulterated glee at making his fellow citizens unemployed so he can earn a few extra bucks is only matched by Ron Pauls indifference to the uninsured/unemployed dying because they cannot afford medical insurance.http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/09/tea-party-audience-cheers-letting-the-uninsured-die/

But yeah, once welfare is ended we can go back to the good ol` days of Victorian England and the workhouses for those unfortunate enough not to have rich daddies.
So lets hope the sociopath Romney wins.

2ndAmendment

No, because hardworking, high-value, high-wealth individuals – Republicans – don’t starve! They take personal responsibility for themselves and their families.

Unlike liberals / communists

onelaw4all

“Mitts unadulterated glee at making his fellow citizens unemployed so he can earn a few extra bucks”
Sounds dreadful!! please furnish a link.
“Ron Pauls indifference to the uninsured/unemployed dying because they cannot afford medical insurance.”
Other than the fact that Ron Paul isn’t on the ticket, did you even see the clip from start to end?
If so, you may need to brush up on comprehension and applying context

fozzie

Are you also a member of the 0.01% who still think that ACT can win an election ? In a phone box or a mini cram at best … the Repugs are toast ….. show us your tax returns Mittens ….
at least wa’il is realistic

2ndAmendment

ACT are dead. They’ll be replaced by the Conservatives – a party who, like Ryan and Romney, are both Christian and fiscally responsible.

fozzie

haa haa haa haa – if the god botherers are in charge you KNOW where the money will go – nothing ‘fiscally responsible’ there an like Capill and his ilk in the States there will be a bit of ‘hanky panky’ added in !!

Gazzaw

I would suggest 2ndA that you have not lived in the US for any length of time. Posters here are aware that I’m a right winger but the Republicans worry me a lot with their domestic policies and I am concerned that there will be civil strife should Romney win in November. A move to the right is fine but the hard out policies that Romney is hinting at are courting disaster.

2ndAmendment

Civil strife should Romney win?. Please.

So-called “hard right” policies — actually the only policies that can possible add up given the complete mess Osama has made of the economy — are absolutely what the US and what NZ needs –

and thankfully enough American voters love freedom that those policies will be enacted.

The New Deal was unconstitutional back then and it’s unconstitutional now.

onelaw4all

Can you give an example of “the hard out policies that Romney is hinting at”?
Preferably with a link.

Beans

Who’s Robert Wright? Oh right, another Shatlantic writer. Next.

nigel201065

Gazzaw
At least Romney or Ryan know how many states there are in the USA

Gazzaw

One swallow does not a summer make nigel. I would be fairly comfortable about pitching Obama up against Mitt in ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’. But then I suppose Romney could nominate Palin or JW as his ‘call a friend’.

nigel201065

what put Romney up against a boy who couldn’t get into a uni on his own record so had to get in by being a foreign student with half the grades of everyone else

Gazzaw

Yes nigel – put Romney up against Obama. I’m not aware of how Obama got into college, I’ll take your word on that and it isn’t party political nonsense. Regardless nige he doesn’t make a cock of himself every time he opens his mouth.

onelaw4all

What you mean is, the media hardly ever report it.
There are a LOT more out there,, can rember 6-7 other ones off the top of my head, even under the virtual MSM blackout.

nigel201065

fozzie
Don’t be a total tool
how about asking for Barrie’s school records before you ask for the tax records Romney hasn’t spent over $3m to suppress his records

fozzie

Oh nigel who is the tool ? You’ve been inhaling too many Repug fumes I fear…. chances are Mittens will have spent way more that a pesky $3m to suppress what he does not want the country to know … that he paid no taxes … it was Romney’s dad that set the standard … now time for his little boy to follow in his shoes … shoes he will never fill !

onelaw4all

“Chances are”?
Is that a close cousin to “the word is out”?
Graduate of the Harry Reid School of smearing, are you?